Local Pride Artinya

From New York Times bestselling author Krista Lakes comes a sexy standalone novel about a billionaire and the indecent proposal he gives the local barista. Billionaire CEO Jackson Weathers needs a family for a PR boost, and I've signed a contract agreeing to give him one. A doting girlfriend in public. A wedding ceremony to invite all the socialites to. And finally, a baby for him to parade around, to show he's really a wholesome, down-to-Earth man. I've tried to remain cynical about it. He's going to make all my dreams come true. So what if it's supposed to be a loveless marriage? Only, his tenderness in private has me hooked. The way he kisses me drives me wild. When we make love, I lose myself to him. His body feels like it was meant to be on top of mine, like we fit together like two puzzle pieces. I can't help but begin to fall for him. I can't tell him, or I risk losing everything. And nobody else can find out about our little "arrangement" or it will destroy his reputation. Still, I feel like I have to know how he feels, before the marriage, before the baby, before I give my entire life over to him. Is it still just pretend?

Sandy grew up surrounded by kids who adored the story of Cinderella—the gentle girl who lost her father, was cast aside by her cruel stepfamily, and endured endless chores without ever fighting back. But Sandy? She loathed it. She couldn’t stand how Cinderella stayed silent, how she let herself be tormented. Then one day, Sandy died in a fire. And woke up as Cinderella. Thrown into the very tale she despised, Sandy tries to play her part—scrubbing floors, swallowing her pride, surviving the cruelty of her stepmother and stepsisters. But everything changes when she’s kidnapped by bandits. Cornered in the forest, her fear turns into rage… and something inside her erupts. A powerful gust of wind explodes from her body, flattening everything around her. Real, terrifying magic. Her eyes flew wide, her mouth agape—pure disbelief etched across her face. Could it be? Did Cinderella possess supernatural powers? And not just her—almost everyone in the kingdom shimmered with something… otherworldly. Was this still the fairytale she thought she knew? Or had the story slipped into something far more enchanted than anyone imagined?

Heavily pregnant, she was kidnapped and thrown into a life-or-death gamble. Her husband paid a hundred million dollars to save his first love, while she was left to die in a raging fire. At death’s door, she finally remembered the identity of herself. Five years later, she returned—not as the obedient wife of the past, but as Elianna Carrington, the esteemed Fifth daughter of the powerful Carrington family in Bryston. Loved by her father, cherished by her brothers, adored by her son, and pursued by the elites, her life was perfect. Joseph Kensington finally realized the truth. This elegant, untouchable woman was the wife he’d been searching for all these years. Desperate, he took her to court. Elianna: Give it up, Joseph. Both sons are mine. Joseph: The kids are yours. You’re mine. Overnight, Bryston was shaken. The dominant heir to a financial empire had now fallen at her feet. To win his wife back, he risked everything—his pride, his life, his heart. Too bad his two sons were his biggest obstacles. Eldest son: Daddy, my credit card swipes faster than yours. Second son: Scumbag dad, get lost!

She is Kiara Monera—New York’s Ice Queen, an award-winning CEO who built an empire from nothing. Ruthless. Brilliant. Untouchable. She doesn’t believe in luck—only in power, control, and winning. He is Silva Blackwood—the heir to the Blackwood dynasty, feared and desired in equal measure. Arrogant. Dangerous. A man who has never been told “no.” They were supposed to marry. Not for love, but for legacy, power, and bloodlines. But Silva would rather die than marry a woman like her. And Kiara? She would never beg for a man’s love. Yet one reckless night in a dark club changes everything. A kiss that feels like war. A night that feels like surrender. And a consequence neither of them can ignore. Now, she carries a secret that could shatter her empire. And he carries a rage that could burn the world. Bound by betrayal, pride, and a baby they never planned, Kiara and Silva are forced into a dangerous marriage where passion and hate blur into obsession. But in a world where enemies wear smiles, secrets can kill, and love feels like the ultimate weakness— Can two people who would rather destroy each other than submit… Survive being tied together forever?

“Say you're mine, Raven,” Declan pushed his tongue against my earlobe. I struggled to stiffle the moan fighting it's way to my lips. It was bad enough I was a squirming mess, I couldn't let him win. “And if I don't?” I struggled to keep my voice steady. “Then I will bend you over and each time you moan, I will inscribe a letter of my name on your neck, where everyone can see it, wherever you run to, my lovely Raven,” the husky whisper sent shivers down my spine. I didn't put it past the psychopath to do exactly as he said. ******* Raven was a trained assassin and pride of the BloodFrang Tribe, until she was tasked with bringing the head of Alpha Declan of the IronClaw Pack. Right when she's about to drive a knife through his heart, she discovers he is her mate and her mission instantly fails. To makes things worse, Declan captures her and her fiance goes ahead to marry someone else. It doesn't take long for her to realise she had been a pawn in their games and now, she just wants to see them burn.

“She was sold to the palace as a slave. But her blood was what brought the Lycan King to his knees.” Veya was rejected by her fated mate for being a broken wolf. She thought her life was over, until her father sold her as a slave to the most ruthless Lycan King in history. King Rael Arkhelen Vor’Serrax was infamous for his bloodlust. Loyalty meant nothing to him; women were nothing more than tools to tame his brutality. He was supposed to destroy Veya in a single night. But the moment her scent reached him, the beast within bowed to her, while the King’s pride rebelled. Veya was no ordinary slave. She wielded what little privilege she had as a weapon to survive, and it only made the King’s obsession burn hotter. When the truth came out—that she was the last descendant of the Shadow Wolves—her place in the palace shifted. From a means of release to a threat to every royal concubine. From a palace slave to the sweet poison the King couldn’t let go. But the danger was far from over. An enemy from the past returned, carrying a coup that could strip them of everything. Including the brutal love slowly blooming from their deepest wounds.

Louis has had series of failed marriages and he was about to have his third wedding when his bride-to-be vanished without warning, leaving him with a wedding in shambles and a reputation in tatters, desperate to salvage his pride and avoid further humiliation, Louis embarked on a frantic quest to find a replacement bride. The wedding plans are in motion and everything has been paid, so he was forced to turn to Flavia, a woman he despised with every fiber of his being. Their mutual hatred was very noticable, and their union seemed doomed from the start. Yet, they sealed their fate with a kiss, exchanging vows in a ceremony that was bound to end in doom. Flavia and Louis's home became nothing short of a battleground, a war zone where two menace clashed in anger, resentment, and disdain. It was obvious that their loveless marriage would be a never-ending cycle of conflict and chaos. But when a common enemy emerged, threatening to destroy everything they had, Louis and Flavia were forced to put their differences aside and work together. Could they find a way to put their hatred aside and forge an unlikely alliance, or would their marriage crumble under the pressure? The battle lines were definitely drawn, and the war between Louis and Flavia was about to take a dramatic and unexpected turn but what will be the outcome?

Amara Blake’s life is simple on paper: double shifts at a café, overdue notices tucked under a refrigerator magnet, a mother who needs more than hope can buy. Then she collides with Damian Cole - ruthless, revered, and impossible to ignore - and is pulled into a world of crystal chandeliers, whispered wars, and rules written by men who never hear the word no. What begins as a temporary job becomes a tightrope walk between pride and survival. With a socialite who smiles like a blade watching for her to fall, and an ex-fiancée returning to reopen old wounds, Amara learns that in Damian’s orbit, truth is currency and secrets are weapons. The closer she gets, the more his polished mask fractures - revealing a man built on control, haunted by betrayal, and drawn to the one thing he can’t command: her honesty. This is a slow-burn, high-stakes romance about power and vulnerability, the cost of desire, and the dangerous mercy of telling the truth - especially to someone who doesn’t know how to receive it. What will Amara sacrifice to keep her dignity - and her heart - intact? Will Damian choose control or the woman who unravels it? Can two people built on opposite truths survive the shadows they create together? Read on to find out.

“Your body, your heart, your soul. everything is mine, Kira.” He whispered into me, his breath fanning my ears and his voice was deep enough to send shivers down my spine. “So I would appreciate it if you stay away from anyone. One wrong move and I’ll kill them.” Said Lycan King Ace. Kira Itzayana Fernandez considered herself an orphan the moment her life went down. Her mother’s death, her step-mother is abusing her, and she only has a crazy aunt in her care. She has always been unfortunate, but she strives hard to make her ends meet. Kira did not expect her life to turn out weird. Her cat disappeared, and she woke up one day to be the luna of the ferocious, Lycan King Ace. Alpha Ace couldn’t take his pride knowing his mate is a human but tries to make it work. With enemies going after them, and Alpha Ace’s beta Mark taking a liking to his mate, Kira is put to choose between the two. Book 3 of Destined Series (can also be read as standalone)

For eighteen years, Xian'na has known only servitude and scorn within the Blue Moon Pack. An orphaned, wolfless maid, she endures the relentless bullying of her tormentor, Jerick, the pack's arrogant future Alpha. Her quiet existence shatters on her 18th birthday when she is hit with the unmistakable scent of a mating bond—to none other than Jerick himself. But his cruelty knows no bounds. Driven by pride and a dismissive judgment of her wolfless status and unknown origins, Jerick rejects her, leaving Xian'na broken and humiliated. Yet, in the depths of that pain, something awakens. The rejection is the catalyst that unleashes the truth of her bloodline: Xian'na is the long-lost daughter of Xi'an, the Alpha of all Alphas and the Queen of all. She is the sister to the most powerful Alphas in the world, and far from being wolfless, she harbors a hidden, powerful Alpha female and a fierce wolf spirit within. As her ancient power erupts, Xian'na transforms from a powerless maid into a force of nature. Now, she must embrace her true heritage and the powerful wolf she kept hidden, not just to survive, but to claim the reign that is rightfully hers. Jerick’s rejection was merely the beginning of her destiny.